Trust
by WolfLuvr1977
Summary: The team is betrayed. But things are not always as they seem. Rated T for upcoming scenes. This is a work in progress so please R&R!
1. Chapter 1

Clint finally had his bow trained on the Baron. The other Avengers had been running interference since they had released their trap on the bridge so that Clint could get into a position to stun Baron von Strucker to bring him in to Shield HQ. There were more of the Baron's goons than they had anticipated so it had taken longer for Clint to get into position than what was planned for.

But he had finally gotten himself settled. Tony and Thor were clearing the bridge from above while Cap, Hulk, and Widow were working on the ground. Clint let out a breath as he took his aim, "Gotcha'" he said quietly just before he released his arrow. He felt the bow string brush his face, but before the arrow left his bow his arm was kicked from the side. The force of the blow knocked Clint to the ground. He looked up expecting to see one of the Baron von Strucker's goons, but instead saw his best friend.

"What the hell Nat?" Clint said, slowly getting to his feet. The redhead didn't answer. Instead, a cold look washed over her face and Clint felt his stomach turn into a knot. "No." He said in disbelief.

Natasha was the first to throw a punch. Clint quickly dodged and the fight began. They both moved quickly and smoothly, recognizing each other's moves and countering accordingly. They had sparred countless times before, and even fought for real once or twice, but it was different this time. Clint knew that Natasha was actually trying to kill him. The fight went on for only minutes before Natasha finally pulled her gun on her former partner.

This was when the rest of the team finally noticed what was really happening. Iron man was the first to react. He put on full thrusters and made for Clint's location. "Wait!" Clint yelled over the comms, "She's not going to shoot me. Are you, Nat?"

Widow's cold stare giving nothing away. By this time Baron von Strucker had gotten into his get-away car and was getting ready to drive off. Cap started to make for the car, but Natasha interrupted, "Don't even think about it Steve" she said. Everyone stood still, even the Hulk.

"Why?" Clint asked, putting his arms down.

"Because I could." With that, Natasha pulled the trigger and her bullet hit Clint square in the chest. The force thrust the archer backwards through the broken railings of the bridge and he tumbled towards the icy lake below.

Natasha took the distraction and ran for the Baron's car. The rest of the Avenger's were too shocked at what happened to realize that the Baron's car had taken to the air and was getting away. Thor started after it but it went into stealth mode and disappeared into the vast, blue sky.

Tony, being in the best position, took off after a falling Clint. The archer was barely conscious as he torpedoed towards the frozen water. Tony used all of his power to speed towards his teammate. Just as Clint was about to make contact with the solid surface of the lake, Tony grabbed his collar and only the archers boots scrapped against the ice.

Tony flew them over to the shore and gently set Clint down on the coarse sand. Cap, Thor and the Hulk met them over there to see if Clint was okay. The archer was trying hard to get in a full breath. The bullet was caught in his vest but had knocked all of the air from his lungs.

"Take it easy Hawk" Tony said, taking off his face mask and kneeling next to Clint, "Jarvis says your vitals are good, all things considered. Just try to breathe."

The rest of the Avengers waited patiently as Clint recovered enough to talk. When he was ready, Tony and Cap helped him sit up. Steve allowed him to lean on his shoulder when they found he was in too much pain to sit on his own.

"Alright," Tony began, "what the hell just happened?"

"I'm not sure," Hawkeye replied weakly as he shook his head. "I was about to take- take the shot and she knocked my bow out- out of my hands." Clint found taking breaths to be extremely painful. He figured he must have a cracked rib or two...or four.

"So, she's betrayed us." Thor said, unmistakably angered.

"It can't be that simple," Steve said, "there has to be something else going on."

"I think it is that simple." Tony piped up, "she found an opportunity to work with a higher bidder and she took it."

"Then why-didn't she kill me?" Clint said the word he had been thinking since his best friend pulled the trigger.

"I don't know," Tony said, "but what I do know is that you don't look too good. C'mon, let's get you back to the tower."

The conversation was over, for now. They stayed quiet as they made their way to the quin-jet, as they called in Shield for a report and clean-up, and as Tony flew them all home. Clint kept his eyes out of the window, not wanting to watch his teammates sneak glances his way to gauge his emotional state.

Clint knew that this story was just beginning. That there was no way Natasha would turn against the team, against him, at least not just because "she could". As Clint thought, and as the pain increased, his breaths got more shallow, until everything around him turned into a dark tunnel, growing smaller and smaller, until his world was black.


	2. Chapter 2

Clint awoke on a soft bed in a dimly lit room. He looked around him only and saw wires and machines. None of them were on, just sitting there,waiting for something to go wrong. He was back at Avenger's tower as promised, but in the medical bay, the place he least wanted to go.

As he moved around to get more comfortable, he noticed that there was a lot less pain. He also noticed the IV in his arm. Pain meds. He hated pain meds. He groaned and gently threw himself back into the soft pillows. He also hated being cared for.

The idea of others watching and waiting on him made home cringe. He was fine, he was always going to be fine, whether it was true or not. Even a few years back when he was almost killed on a mission by a mercenary assassin. Stabbed, shot, broken, and half-dead, he still tried to resist medical attention until Fury ordered the medical team to sedate him.

He didn't feel like he was worth other people's attention. Which is why he always preferred to stay in the shadows, where he could see everything and no one could see him. Natasha had always been the one for more dramatic flare.

Clint's stomach churned at the thought of his partner. She put him here, but why? That cold look that she gave him still haunted his thoughts. It seemed so real, and yet she didn't kill him. She had the shot, she had the motive, but she didn't take it. It could have been to distract the team, but Natasha had always been more complicated than that.

Clint sat in silence for a while longer. He quietly contemplated every angle that Natasha could be coming from. However, he kept coming to the same conclusion. He had to tell the team. For all he knew, they were already planning their retaliation.

He ripped out his IV and grabbed his clothes from the chair beside his bed. When he stood, the world spun around him, and the world seemed foggy and far away. _I hate pain meds! _he thought to himself. He stumbled out of the med bay and made his way down the hall with the help of the walls. He couldn't bear the thought of climbing stairs so he trudged down to the elevator at the end of the hallway.

The Avengers were, indeed, planning their next move in regard to Von Strucker and Widow when the elevator bell dinged and Hawkeye came tumbling out. He managed to stay standing only by catching himself on the wall.

"Clint!" Tony exclaimed as he rushed to him. Hawkeye held out a hand to stop him, he didn't need or want anymore helpers. Especially because he knew what he would say next was going to divide the team.

"I-I-" Clint tried to start but, much to his dismay, the room would not stop spinning, "I'm gonna sit down for a minute." He said as he slid down the wall and sat, leaning against it. He took a few deep breaths and blinked to try and clear the fog.

"Take it easy, bud," Tony said gently, placing a hand on Clint's shoulder.

"What is it you are trying to tell us," Thor asked, walking closer.

"Widow didn't betray us," Clint said, finally able to center himself (sort of). "She's not working for Strucker, she's working for us, she's double crossing him."

Tony sighed and lowered his head, "Clint, I know you want to believe that-"

"This isn't about what I believe!" Clint yelled. He gasped at the pain his outburst caused. Tony put his other hand on Clint to try and steady him, but the archer pushed him away. "This isn't about what I believe. It's about what I know." He looked around the room at each of his teammates and recognized the concern on their faces. "I know her, and that is the only reason she would do this to us."

Silence followed. The kind of silence that was quiet on the outside, but everyone involved had thoughts racing and screaming through their heads. Tony broke it.

"I'd like to believe you, I really would. But with her history-"

"I believe you." Steve said after being unusually quiet. "Tony, Clint knows her better than any of us ever could. I think we should-"

A beeping noise interrupted the argument. Tony stood and rushed over to a monitor on the other side of the room. He stood in silence for a moment and then "It's her!"

"What?" Clint exclaimed.

"She's sending a distress signal on our frequency" Tony continued as he clicked a few buttons.

"We have to go after her," Cap said, "Not only does she need our help she could be leading us straight to Von Strucker's hideout!"

"Or she could be leading us right into a trap." Tony continued, unconvinced of Widow's loyalties.

"I agree," Thor said, moving towards Tony, "we cannot trust her."

"Well I'm going, with or without you." Clint said, rising from the floor with a groan and a couple deep breaths. "You coming Cap?"

Steve stood in silence for a few moments, his arms crossed and his eyes on the floor. He sighed deeply, "You know I hate the idea of splitting up the team," he started, "but if she's in trouble and we abandon her, that's gonna be on us for the rest of our lives."

With that, and a quick glance at Tony, he went over to stand by Clint. Before anyone really noticed what was happening, Bruce, who had yet to say a word, also went to stand with the archer.

"Bruce?" Tony had been sure his friend would agree with him on this one.

"Natasha wouldn't do this without a good reason and I wanted to know what that reason is." They all knew that Bruce and Natasha had been spending more time together away from the team, much to Clint's chagrin. He he always been protective over his partner, and he still didn't completely trust Bruce's control over his alternate personality.

So there the team stood. Divided. In silence. They had had disputes like this before, but never to this extent. By this time, an executive decision was usually made or someone finally gave in. Now the team felt like they were actually going to be splitting up.

"We gotta go," Clint said, turning to get into the elevator. Cap and Bruce followed and he pressed the button for the roof level. The doors were about to close when Tony's arm shot through the doorway, causing the doors to fling open.

"Listen, if it is a trap, it's probably better that we stay behind anyway," he began, "check in every couple of hours and use this as a distress signal." He handed Bruce a small transponder before stepping back and giving them a silent farewell nod.

The doors shut and the three Avengers continued on their elevator ride without saying a word. They exited on the roof and headed for the Quinjet. Clint still wasn't quite steady on his feet so Steve offered to pilot when they began setting everything up.

"You sure about this?" Cap asked just before taking off.

"Nope." Clint replied, and they were on their way.


End file.
